Beneath the fireworks, Wen Ci only brushed her lips lightly against Zhou Wu’s.
The group of university students whistled again from nearby. Zhou Wu ignored them and simply rested his nose against hers.
“Shall we go back?” he asked.
Wen Ci looked at his eyelashes. They were long, casting shadows over his cheeks, while desire flickered faintly beneath them.
“The fireworks haven’t finished yet,” she said.
Zhou Wu had just hummed when she continued, her voice secretive and slightly hoarse.
“…But I want to leave.”
The car drove just below the speed limit.
Wen Ci lowered her head and messaged Dou Yiqing. They had only touched lips and had not even done anything yet, but her fingers were already trembling faintly.
They arrived at the garage, went upstairs and stepped out of the lift.
The moment the lift doors closed, the phone in her pocket rang. It was probably Dou Yiqing replying.
Wen Ci had only just reached towards the pocket of her jeans when Zhou Wu caught her chin and lifted her face.
His kiss descended overwhelmingly.
Their breaths burned hot as their lips and tongues tangled.
Wen Ci was pressed against the wall outside the door, her head tilted back as they exchanged heartbeats and saliva.
Her lips opened and closed without rhythm.
Their scorching breaths intertwined.
Wen Ci’s head repeatedly tipped backwards, brushing against the palm Zhou Wu had placed behind it against the wall.
She swallowed his breath and taste while wet, intimate kissing sounds filled the corridor.
A noise came from inside.
Yeye had heard them and was responding.
Neither of them paid any attention.
When Zhou Wu finally released her, he casually wiped the moisture from the corner of her mouth. Then he supported her beneath the hips with one hand, lifted her around his waist, opened the door and nudged aside the dog blocking the entrance with his leg.
Wen Ci was breathing heavily.
Her soft body pressed against his through their clothes, rising and falling continuously as though she still had not recovered from the kiss.
Zhou Wu was about to ask whether she was all right when slender fingers suddenly cupped his cheeks and raised his face.
Still breathing rapidly and unevenly, Wen Ci lowered her head and kissed him again.
They kissed for a very long time.
It was as though they did not need to breathe, as though kissing alone could keep them alive.
For one moment, Wen Ci could no longer tell whether she was light-headed from the lack of oxygen or whether Zhou Wu had kissed her into climax.
By the time he released her, Wen Ci was lying flat on the sofa.
She was so slender, and the sofa so large, that it easily contained her entire body.
She drew in deep breaths and felt Zhou Wu undoing the button of her jeans.
She assumed they were going to shower.
Her trousers were thrown onto the carpet, leaving her legs exposed to the slightly cool air.
Wen Ci rested one hand loosely against the back of the sofa.
She was about to say that she could walk to the bathroom herself when her left leg was lifted.
The next second, Wen Ci jolted violently.
Her waist arched high, and her calf nearly cramped.
Zhou Wu laughed.
He raised his eyelids and looked at her, his scorching breath spilling over her most sensitive skin.
His voice was low and hoarse.
“You’re already like this after one kiss?”
Wen Ci felt as though she were losing her mind.
The pleasure was frightening, yet the shame made her want to cry.
The back of her knee rested helplessly over Zhou Wu’s shoulder, and she could not speak.
Before she recovered, he kissed her again.
Wen Ci collapsed and grabbed his hair, begging chaotically.
“Zhou Wu, don’t do this. Please… It’s dirty. Please, I haven’t showered yet…”
Although she was begging him to stop, her voice betrayed how she felt.
She sounded as though she were dying from pleasure, almost as if she were acting coquettishly.
In the past, Zhou Wu would never have imagined that he would one day serve someone like this.
But in Bincheng, he had done it without even thinking.
He had not found it strange.
He liked making her feel good, and he liked hearing her voice.
Wen Ci’s face was wet.
The stimulation had made her cry.
It took a long time for her to recover.
When she raised her head, she saw that Zhou Wu’s face was wet too.
Now Wen Ci genuinely wanted to cry.
She pushed herself upright and used trembling fingers to wipe his face, inwardly collapsing.
“I’m sorry. I already said earlier that I…”
She could not repeat the rest.
So she said again, “I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine.”
Zhou Wu generously forgave her.
He brushed the sweat-dampened hair away from her forehead and kissed it.
Then he quietly negotiated with her.
“Hold your own legs, Teacher Wen.”
Wen Ci was soft-hearted.
Perhaps she also felt guilty towards Zhou Wu because of what had just happened.
At that moment, she would have agreed to almost anything.
Later, when they reached the bathroom, her legs were so weak she could not stand.
Zhou Wu had to support and hold her, leaving her almost suspended in the air.
…
In the end, Zhou Wu even helped her put on her clothes.
Beneath the grey T-shirt, her long, pale legs lay weakly across the sheets, covered in kiss marks.
Wen Ci had no idea how long they had continued.
Her mind was numb.
Her tongue was numb.
So was everywhere else.
Her lower abdomen felt sore and soft as she lay exhausted on her stomach.
Remembering what had just happened, she felt the absurd amazement of someone who had somehow survived.
Zhou Wu leaned against the headboard.
His fingers sank into her soft, long hair, slowly rubbing her scalp.
He liked touching her this way.
Wen Ci liked it too.
With his other hand, Zhou Wu picked up his cigarette case, then put it down again.
“You aren’t smoking?”
The moment Wen Ci spoke, her voice sounded weak.
“Mm.”
Zhou Wu remained immersed in satisfaction, his voice lazy.
“I still want to kiss you later.”
“…”
Wen Ci could not help swallowing again.
At some point, a light rain had begun outside.
Raindrops struck the window, creating a continuous, gentle sound.
Wen Ci’s mind felt hazy, but she had not completely fallen asleep.
The sensation was strange.
The phone beside the bed chimed.
Zhou Wu lowered his eyes and saw a calendar reminder:
**6 days until accepting Zhou Wu.**
“Teacher Wen.”
The fingers in her hair moved downwards.
Zhou Wu rubbed her ear, his touch extending ambiguously inside.
“You even had a countdown?”
Wen Ci froze for a moment before understanding.
She answered vaguely, “Because I wanted to learn more about you.”
“Then why did you accept now?”
Wen Ci closed her eyes and admitted in a muffled voice,
“…My resolve was weak.”
Zhou Wu’s shoulders shook with laughter.
He pulled her upright and held her.
Their bodies pressed tightly together.
Wen Ci rested her cheek lazily against his shoulder while Zhou Wu wrapped his arms securely around her through the T-shirt.
It was a completely innocent embrace.
“I’m twenty-seven and currently unemployed.”
Zhou Wu spoke unhurriedly.
“I’m resting for a while. Occasionally, I invest in a few projects. These recent business trips were to listen to project presentations.”
“I don’t remember the exact amount of my assets. I’ll organise everything and give you the details in a few days.”
“I don’t have any unhealthy habits. If you dislike them, I can quit smoking and drinking.”
Wen Ci froze before realising Zhou Wu was reporting his personal circumstances to her.
“As for my family…”
“My mother died ten years ago. As for the other one—you can consider him dead too. I won’t let him meet you.”
“The relatives I’m closest to are my maternal grandparents. They’re both retired in Xingxiang.”
“My family environment is slightly complicated. Don’t mind it.”
Wen Ci abruptly sat upright and stared at him blankly.
The last time they had been beside the sea, Zhou Wu had said his mother loved the tango.
She had assumed…
Realising she might once have accidentally touched a painful subject, and not knowing how to comfort him, Wen Ci could only say,
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know before.”
“There’s nothing to apologise for.”
“At the time, I was actually grateful to you.”
Zhou Wu’s brows lowered slightly, his expression calm.
“No one had mentioned her to me for a very long time.”
But Wen Ci still noticed a trace of sadness.
So she lowered her head and kissed him comfortingly, without the slightest hint of desire.
Their tender moment lasted less than a minute before something struck the door twice.
Yeye barked outside.
“What’s wrong with him?”
Wen Ci sounded worried.
“I think he’s barked several times.”
“I don’t know. He’s never been this noisy at night before.”
Zhou Wu said lazily, “Perhaps he heard the sounds and wants to come in and rescue you.”
“…”
“But before… he didn’t bark this much either.”
Wen Ci denied it with red ears.
“Could he be hungry?”
“No. Qin Yun has been coming over every day recently to fill his…”
Zhou Wu paused.
He remembered meeting Qin Yun in the car park earlier and then going directly to the amusement park together.
Qin Yun had never entered the flat.
“We’re finished.”
…
The dog was allowed into the bedroom.
Wen Ci’s legs were too weak for her to stand, so she lay on her stomach across the bed, half her body hanging over the edge.
She held duck-and-potato strips in one hand and fed them to Yeye.
Yeye ate enthusiastically, occasionally turning to glare at Zhou Wu while chewing.
Zhou Wu leaned against the wall.
“That’s enough. We compensated you with snacks. Why are you still giving me that attitude?”
The dog was already so overweight that the vet had recommended putting him on a diet.
What was wrong with missing one meal?
Yeye immediately looked pitifully towards Wen Ci.
Unable to resist, she stroked his head.
“Don’t be so harsh. We were the ones who forgot.”
Yeye whined in agreement.
Zhou Wu laughed from irritation.
The dog had genuinely found himself a protector.
After eating and drinking his fill, Yeye lay directly on the floor.
No matter how Zhou Wu called him, he refused to leave.
Taking advantage of Wen Ci’s presence, he simply remained there.
Wen Ci rested her chin on the back of one hand.
Her other arm hung over the edge of the bed, lazily stroking Yeye’s fur.
“The puppy I once brought home was white too,” she casually said.
Zhou Wu lifted his chin towards the dog.
“Did you hear that? You’re a substitute.”
“…”
Wen Ci stared at him in shock.
“No. That dog was tiny. It was only about the size of Yeye’s head.”
Zhou Wu said, “Did you hear that? She called you fat. You need to lose weight.”
“…”
Wen Ci covered Yeye’s ears and lightly nudged Zhou Wu with her foot.
“Stop saying nonsense.”
Zhou Wu laughed.
He lay down beside Wen Ci, accompanying her as they both stretched childishly across the bed.
He watched her continue stroking the dog.
An indescribable feeling of satisfaction filled him.
After watching for a while, Zhou Wu suddenly spoke.
“If we had been closer back then…”
Wen Ci turned towards him.
Her hair shifted, carrying a faint fragrance.
“What?”
“I would have helped you hide it properly,” Zhou Wu said. “That dog.”
Wen Ci remained frozen for a long time before understanding what he meant.
“…It’s all right. It had a good life with its new family too.”
She looked at him.
After remaining silent for a while, she could not resist adding,
“Besides, you did help me.”
In that stairwell, he had given her careful, gentle comfort carrying the faint scent of tobacco.
Her voice was too quiet, and Zhou Wu did not hear.
He moved closer.
“What?”
Wen Ci smiled and shook her head.
Then she lifted her chin and gently kissed the side of his face.
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